NEUQUA VALLEY MEN'S CROSS COUNTRYTRACK & FIELD

The York Freshman/Sophomore Invitational moved to Berens Park in Elmhurst four years ago. The course—a relatively fast and flat 2.1 miles—loops around twice before bending to the left into a chute at the base of a hill. It can be a disorienting final 150 meters, as runners can’t even see the finish until they’re almost upon it.

After a grueling weekend at Detweiller, that chute may as well have been in Eugene, Oregon. Our freshmen were beleaguered, our sophomores bewildered, and our coaches belabored. But a chance to test ourselves against the rising stars of some of Illinois’ best teams? As the ailing sophomore Brian Jett might have said, “LET’S GOOOOOOO!”

The Sophomores had first serve, eager to improve on a 2nd place finish over the weekend. There was a Jett-sized hole in the lineup, which Luke Suman (11:14) and Stephen Smilie (11:37) would have to fill. Fortunately, they do a good impression; both finished in the top 20, with Smilie taking home a 16th place ribbon and Suman locking down 8th. Ryan Horn (11:16) secured the championship in 10th; Luke Mennecke (9th, 11:15) proved himself a quick study after a freshman football season; and Leif Anderson (6th, 11:12) seeded his tough finish with a new early-race aggression. Team leaders Vasant Fong (5th, 11:06) and Nick Dovalovsky (10:44) executed perfectly, with Dovalovsky winning his second race in three invitationals. The sophs had not forgotten their second place finish the year before, and the team championship embodied the improvement that can happen when freshmen commit to their training and to one another.

Fifteen minutes later, the freshmen took the line, their heads spinning and their hearts throttling. Yet having traveled more than 1,000 miles together in the past 10 days, they were beginning to learn some lessons about racing with one another. Charlie Rook (7th, 11:38) and Sachin Fong (5th, 11:30) took the race out hard, but found a rhythm, and human pinball Noah Schalliol (8TH, 11:39) careened after them, impressively keeping pace with the more seasoned runners. Nathanael Howard (10th, 11:50) once again summoned a burying kick, while the laconic Liam Dorsey (14th, 11:53) ambled in four places later to close the door. Alex Del Genio (32nd, 12:41) and Adam Johnson (34th, 12:44) both set PRs in their first mile, showing their mettle and courage, even when sun-battered and spent.

But it was in the Open Race where we showed up perhaps most impressively, taking the top three slots. The redoubtable Aidan Stone (12:02) took the race, a sophomore who blends Gary Cooper with Rudy in equal measure. Stone has had a long road back from injury, and his win was as inspiring as it was satisfying, demonstrating what young men can do with patience and hard work.